A Girl's Guide to Moving On by Debbie Macomber, boring and formulaic

A Girl's Guide to Moving On by Debbie Macomber
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

As a librarian, I am tasked to familiarize myself with a variety of authors. Sometimes the books of a particular author are not to my personal taste, but it is to my benefit to be familiar with what our patrons enjoy and request. I have always known about Debbie Macomber, but A Girl's Guide to Moving On is the first actual title of hers I have read. Unfortunately, this will remain an author that is not to my taste.

A Girl's Guide to Moving On is the story of Nichole and Leanne, daughter-in-law and mother-in-law. Jake, Nichole's husband and Leanne's son, has been cheating on Nichole and his current girl is pregnant. Nichole determine's to leave Jake, who she believes has been unfaithful for some time.

Leanne has lived with her husband, Sean, for 35 years, but determines she will follow in Nichole's footsteps, as she has suffered from her husbands infidelity for just too many years. In addition, he cruelly undermines her self-image by telling her she is no longer attractive to him.

Both women file for divorce, with Leanne completing hers quickly, but Nichole must fight Jake every step of the way as he is not interested in splitting up. The two women become each others greatest supporters, and share their love for Nichole and Jake's young son. They set out to move on with their lives, and they start by writing down a guide to assist them. The guide contains ideas such as making new friends, staying positive, focusing on others to prevent themselves from falling into despair, etc.

Nichole starts work in a charity shop that dresses women who are starting back into the work world. She befriends Shantelle who encourages her to pursue a new relationship with Rocco, the owner of a towing company that Nichole met when she backed into a ditch. Meanwhile, Leanne begins teaching English as a second language classes in a local school. Here she meets Nikolai, a Ukrainian baker who brings her marvelous home made bread that he bakes for her alone.

The concept of the story is certainly of interest. However, a divorced woman moving on with her life is not the most unique of concepts. In addition, I found the first couple of chapters to be written in a jarringly pedestrian manner. I found myself bored very quickly. After reading a dozen chapters or so, I had had enough. I determined my theories as to how the story would proceed and moved to read the last two chapters and epilogue. Each of my theories was accurate. There were very few unique aspects to the story. Formulaic is the word that comes to mind.

Debbie Macomber is an exceedingly popular and successful author. Her many fans enjoy her formula and find comfort in the predictability of her stories. To these fans, I can recommend A Girl's Guide to Moving On. The characters are engaging, and the story is a comfortable one of women overcoming their life obstacles and moving forward to find love, fulfillment, and contentment.

However, many readers are looking for something new and original when reading. I fall into that category in most instances. I cannot recommend this title to those readers as the story is just too predictable, and in my mind, a bit dated in the ideas of today's women and their lives.

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Andy and Don: The Making of a Friendship and a Classic American TV Show - a pleasure - 4 Stars

Andy and Don: The Making of a Friendship and a Classic American TV Show by Daniel de Visé
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It was such a pleasure to read this biography of Andy Griffith and Don Knotts. It is also kind of shocking to think I was watching the Andy Griffith show about 50 years ago as a young child.

Andy Taylor and Barney Fife were cousins and best friends on the Andy Griffith show created in the 1960's. However, the audience may not have realized the actors Andy Griffith and Don Knotts truly admired each other and were close friends until Don passed away in 2006. This biography focuses on the relationship of the two actor/comedians, both on and off-screen.

Both actors were beloved for their aw shucks characters, but we find in "Andy and Don" the more complex people they were in reality. As with most people, their lives were full of moments of self-doubt and jealousy. Both men experienced failed marriages, unemployment and losses of loved ones. However, we also see how both men stuck it out and pushed forward into successful careers, and second careers, and third careers! And, throughout, they remained friends and supporters of each other.

A very interesting telling of the lives of two men who appear on television to this day and have fans of every age. The story is told by Daniel de Vise', Don Knotts brother-in-law.

Recommended for fans of the old Andy Griffith program.

advanced copy received from Edelweiss/Above the Treeline

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Better than Fiction 2: True adventures from 30 great fiction writers by Lonely Planet - solid 5 Stars

Better than Fiction 2: True adventures from 30 great fiction writers by Lonely Planet

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A whole slew of fiction writers are asked by Lonely Planet to write a chapter telling of a travel experience they would like to share: Scary, funny, embarrassing, eye-opening, puzzling, etc. The locations are a wide variety around the world.

As you can imagine, people who write fiction for a living can write a pretty well-defined and fascinating travel tale. The descriptions of the people, locations, foods, etc. are amazing. The authors are simply travelers like ourselves, experiencing new locations or beloved locations. However, they have the advantage over us as they have the advanced language to truly bring the travel experience to life.

I have not read the first version of Better than Fiction, but I certainly will now. This is a wonderful book - highly recommended for those who love to travel and/or love to read about out of the way places and travel experiences. I loved it.

Recommended for purchase by my library system.
advance copy received from Edelweiss/Above the Treeline

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The Passenger by Lisa Lutz - recommended for lovers of Gone Girl and Girl on a Train 4 Stars

The Passenger by Lisa Lutz

Expected publication: March 1st 2016 by Simon & Schuster

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Passenger is an interesting and thrilling ride. It is the story of a young woman taken advantage of by just too many people. In most of these cases they were allowed to continue in their lives as if nothing changed, but she must quickly find another identity and take off. We follow her across the country as she seeks some semblance of a life and a future. Why is she running, who can she trust, will she get out alive?

The Passenger starts with a death. Our heroine comes downstairs and finds her husband has fallen down the stairs and has died. It is an accidental death. Tanya has been the ordinary housewife, working side by side with her husband at their bar. So, why now does Tanya flee? Why doesn't she just stay and be Frank's widow getting the bar and everything else? She was having an affair with her chiropractor, she could continue that. But, Tanya runs, and we are left wondering why she married Frank in the first place and what she is running from.

Her first action is to contact Mr. Oliver to obtain a new name and new identity. Who is this guy? Why does she contact him? And, then, why does he try to have her killed? Her new name is Amelia, but this isn't working for her either. Luckily, she meets Blue, who is also in need of a new name. Her real name is Deborah, so the two of them switch identities, and off they run, both needing a new life.

In the meantime, we see Tanya/Amelia/Deborah emailing Ryan and signing her emails Jo. This is when we discover our heroine is truly running from something she has done in her hometown. Ryan (his real name) is part of that something, and loves Jo. Their emails are the only time Jo is her real self. What happened?

The Passenger is a very quick read and I expect it to appeal to the same readers who enjoyed Gone Girl and Girl on a Train. This is not great literature, but that is not the intent. It is the story of a young, naive girl who trusted too much and was truly taken advantage of by people who wanted to protect their own. But, her new life, or lack of a life, changes her and creates even more problems. Will she ever find a way out?

I really enjoyed The Passenger. It truly is a roller coaster ride full of intrigue. The marketing plan tells the reader to "buckle-up", and really, you should. I give it four stars and think it will be very popular when it comes out.

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Mastering Basic Cheesemaking by Gianaclis Caldwell - Step by Step and Very Well Written

Mastering Basic Cheesemaking: The Fun and Fundamentals of Making Cheese at Home by Gianaclis Caldwell

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

For anyone interested in learning about cheese and how to make it, this is a really well done guide.

Gianaclis Caldwell is a professional cheese maker who has written a text book for those interested in learning to make cheese. The book is not really one you would sit down to read. Instead it is a series of lessons. The lessons increase in difficulty and demonstrate not only how to make a specific form of cheese, but also provide a technique that can be built upon by the student.

Mastering Basic Cheesemaking starts with some historic background on the making of cheese. It is fascinating to see how similar forms of cheese have popped up around the world. But, the history lesson also includes some of the fundamental science behind cheese by describing the most likely methods used by primitive humans, and how those processes have evolved.

We then move on to the ingredients of cheese making, including the milk, the acid, the coagulant, the salt, etc. A discussion of the tools and processes then rounds out the introduction. Then each chapter becomes a lesson with the student learning a new process and recipe. The author recommends doing the lessons in order, as they are not simply recipes, but techniques that will be utilized further along as the reader becomes a more accomplished cheese maker.

What I liked about the lessons is how clear they are. All of the tools and ingredients are listed to help the reader gather everything they will need. A very high level list of steps is provided with a time approximation. Finally come the step by step instructions for completing the lesson, including troubleshooting techniques.

I have not started any of the lessons, but I am excited to give them a try. This book looks like a really fine way to get started at making cheese at home with a well-developed curriculum that is step by step easy to follow. I will update this review after trying a lesson or two.

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The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion by Fannie Flagg 5 Stars

The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion by Fannie Flagg

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What makes Fannie Flagg's writing so enjoyable? There is a bit of a formula, or style, which can be seen in each of her stories. All are set in the South of the US, they are populated with quirky characters, and the writing includes laugh-out-loud funny lines. But, as you read along, you suddenly realize the quirky characters have become three-dimensional, fully formed human beings. You find you have become attached to them and care about the outcome of their interesting and sometimes unusual situations.

Such is true of The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion. Set in Alabama, it is the story of "Sookie" (Sarah Jane) Poole, a woman approaching her sixties who believes life can finally settle down for her and her husband, Earle, after a rash of weddings for her three daughters. But, of course, she is wrong.

Sookie's life has been dominated by her mother Lenore Simmons Krackenberry, who is a larger than life woman on center stage everywhere she appears. Lenore, otherwise known as Winged-Victory by Sookie and her brother Buck, is a large woman who sweeps into a room with her silver hair styled with wings, her scarves flowing, and her personality overwhelming. She is in control of everything, adamantly opinionated, and very proud of her Simmons family background. Lenore conquers all and is beloved by all she meets, but is a royal pain to her family. However, she is in her lates 80's and requires some monitoring and care, yet refuses to set foot in a senior facility. This leaves Sookie to keep an eye on her and to handle most of her affairs.

All of her life Sookie has been pushed by her mother to be a credit to the Simmons name. Although married to a dentist, her mother has always found fault with her and the choices she has made. And, though loved by many, Sookie has always felt as if she never has gotten her mother's approval and has let down the Simmons name.

In her capacity as caretaker of Lenore's life, Sookie receives a registered letter containing documents recently located and sent to Lenore. These include information which is earth-shattering in nature to Sookie - she is not, and never has been of the Simmons family, as she is adopted. The fact that Sookie's real mother is of Polish descent and is originally from Pulaski, Wisconsin, and is a pilot, shocks Sookie and makes her feel that she does not know who she is. Having her birth certificate indicate her original name was Ginger, and her father unknown, simply adds to the incredible shock.

Our story is told from Sookie's perspective in present day Alabama as she wrestles with this new information, but it is also the story of her birth family, the Jurdabralinskis. We go back in time to the 1940's as we learn about the 4 sisters and a brother who learned to fly and flew in the service of their country during World War II. In addition, we see how the sisters were required to handle their father's filling station when the son and other male family members went to war and father became ill. The sisters became well-known throughout the area for their All-Girl Filling Station with the fastest service, and the best mechanics. The star of the family, the eldest girl and the first to fly was Fritzi, the woman identified as Sookie's birth mother on her adoption papers.

Flagg presents us with the humorous goings on of both families, during both eras. But, we get caught up in the love within the families and the escapades of Lenore and Fritzi Jurdabralinski. In addition, we are given a history lesson about the wonderful women who were the first female pilots, and how many of them served their country in the WASP unit during World War II.

Throughout The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion, we follow Sookie as she learns more and more about her birth family, and learns who she is today, and how much she appreciates the love of both families. By the end of the book, all characters have been fully revealed and we see the depth of their loves, sacrifices, and losses. Fannie Flagg has once again filled a family with warmth and depth and helped us to understand them, as well as ourselves. This is truly her gift as an author and her gift to us as readers.






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The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis - will a younger generation love them as much?

The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis by Max Shulman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis by Max Shulman is being re-released. I loved Duane Hickman as Dobie on TV when I was a kid, and read these stories when I was a bit older. So, for me, this is a trip down memory lane. Will my trip be one shared by the teens of today?

The lovable Dobie Gillis was always looking for an angle. He was a pretty average kid - average intelligence, average ability, average looks. He tended not to excel in really anything, and what he did need to do was usually something he would rather avoid. So, rather than take the straightforward route, Dobie would try to find a way out of homework, obligations, helping Dad at the store, etc. He was easily talked into any kind of scheme, especially by one of his loves. The results were typically hilarious. Unlike other schemers, Dobie Gillis almost always was caught and had to suffer the consequences.

I just love the stories and find them hilarious. Dobie always seems to be just on the verge of making everything work when something goes wrong. He always trusts the wrong person, even when he argues against the plan himself.

So, here is the question: The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis was written in the 40's and 50's. And, the situations are true to that era. Will the humor translate to those born in the 90's or 2000's? I love them and hope others will as well. I know they will appeal to those of us who remember black and white television. I sure hope they appeal to others. These are so funny and witty. Give them a try.

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